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Rectangular quilts allow for "opening the windows", ie leaving the ends uncinched which then forms a diminishing cones under the head and neck and feet and lower legs for cooling on warmer nights, yet maintaining a warm body core, for vital organ comfort.

These and other seasonal tricks in the "Nesting Tricks of an Old Coot" article.

Pan

Ounces to Grams.

www.jacksrbetter.com ... Largest supplier of camping quilts and under quilts...Home of the Original Nest Under Quilt, and Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock. 800 595 0413

...but why are under quilts? Okay, rectangular. Then we put a drawstring in each end and cinch 'em down so they're kinda football shaped. So my question:

Is there a reason why they aren't cut to resemble a football to start with, instead of a loaf of bread? Seems like a fair bit of fabric/insulation/weight could be eliminated.

Great question OG.

Most commercially made hammocks start out as rectangles before the gathered end is formed. As you know, the pocket that the hammock user sleeps in is created by all of those folds and "furrows" (as they were referred to in another thread) that form as a result of the all that fabric tapering to each end. All of that furrowing and unfurrowing fabric is what makes the ever changing livable space that we are able to move around in. You can see why it is done this way if you think about what the results would be if you decided to make a hammock out of a piece of fabric that was radically tapered along the sides...

When I first started making quilts, I tried fitting the them to hammocks by tapering the sides. I quickly found out that it created sides that were too floppy. Especially in the full length under quilts. I also noticed that the standard hammock did not have any pleats or darts along the long edges, that all of the shaping was done from the end which can be seen in all of the furrows and folds visible in gathered end hammocks.

So, for quite some time now, all Hammock Gear quilts START OUT rectangular when I cut them, but that is only so I can shape them from the inside. Using full length pleats that are only end to end (like a gathered end hammock), I shape them to not only fit the fundamental shape of the hammock body itself, but also to fit a wide variety of users.

Also, the design is not heavily tapered. This is so that, as Pan mentioned above, people have the option to open up the end channels for ventilation purposes. It also, as Gargoyle mentioned, helps keep the quilt from slipping off in the middle of the night.

I hope this post did not sound too "it slices it dices". If it did, my apologies. That was not the intent. I am not a great salesman, I am just proud of my design...

....the first down underquilt I ever saw

this pic lifted off JustJeff's page....it's the first down UQ I ever saw years ago...his trail name was/is CanoeBlue. I tried to buy it, he told me to make my own.
It is the football shape with the points cut off.

I've been playing with tie-out on the bottom of my hammock for my UQ. All of the UQs I've seen have ingenious methods of adjusting to different sized hammocks and hammockers. I think there is room for improvement, however, for the DIYers looking to make an UQ just for themselves in their favorite hammock. A tapered UQ is a very good idea.

I don't make quits but I make pads to keep me warm. Most folks do not need much of anything above the neck as that is where the pillow comes in. If they do anything there the want a warm arm curled under their head. One dictates a wide top above the head, the other at the neck then cut off. Similar issue at the knees. Side sleepers often want to pull their knees up. One also needs to insulate the sides high enough so the wrap area is warm.